Italy donates $1.9 million for women and youth in Kenya and South Sudan

Project to support access to market for marginalized farmers

June 2013, Rome – Poor women and youth in marginalized areas of Kenya and South Sudan will gain improved access to markets for their agricultural produce, under a new project agreement.

The $1.9 million project falls under a broader FAO-Italy programme of food security through commercialization of agriculture, in Eastern Africa, West Africa, Central America and the Caribbean.

The project represents one of the major areas of FAO/Italy cooperation, which focuses on the integration of small farmers into the market through support to cooperatives and small and medium enterprises. It also responds to the national development strategies of Kenya and South Sudan.

Project activities in Kenya and South Soudan will foster a demand-driven approach for better access to markets and support commercial production of selected food commodities, horticulture and livestock. This will be done through training in better farming techniques for youth and women groups and through support to cooperatives and small and medium agro-enterprises.

The agreement was signed by José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-General; Betty Achan Ogwaro, Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, Cooperative and Rural Development of South Sudan; Felix Kiptarus Koskei, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Kenya and Giampaolo Cantini, Director General, Directorate General for Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy.

This is the first agreement signed for the benefit of marginalized farmers since South Sudan became an FAO member country on 15 June 2013.

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